Hotel Chevalier: A New Era of Promotion.

 

Wes Anderson’s new feature film, The Darjeeling Limited, is opening in theaters in a couple of weeks. In anticipation, Hotel Chevalier, a 13 minute prelude starring Jason Schwartzman and Natalie Portman, has been released onto iTunes for all to enjoy.

Previously, Hotel Chevalier was being screened with The Darjeeling Limited as it played film festivals. It has now been released for free on the web only through iTunes. It may mark the first time that a potential opening scene has been aired on the internet before a big screen.

Wes Anderson, shot the film using his own money and only later decided to incorporate one of the characters into The Darjeeling Limited. Hotel Chevalier is the backstory of one of Darjeeling’s main characters played by Jason Schwartzman.

It’ll be interesting to see just how much attetion Hotel Chevalier gets in the next couple of weeks. Given that it includes Natalie Portman’s first nude scene, it will probably help to expose an incredible amount of people to the characters in Darjeeling before the release. Let’s see if Wes Anderson has found a new way to bolster his opening weekend numbers. It’ll be fascinating either way!
Watch Hotel Chevalier,  the trailer for The Darjeeling Limited and checkout the official site.
– Chris

Where have I been?

As some of you know, we here at Tropist Media are not only a blog but also a startup company. We’ve been working tirelessly for the last couple of months and are getting close to launching our new product. Unfortunately, my time to work on the Tropist Weblog has been lost in the crossfire.

But, I’m back. I won’t be as consistent as before, but hopefully I’ll be more poignant. This means I’m still on the lookout for interesting stuff. If you come across something you think I’d like, feel free to shoot me an email and I’ll probably feature it. Look for new posts starting tomorrow!

In other news, we are looking for a killer web designer! If you do unbelievably easy and gorgeous UI design, shoot me an email, I’d love to talk.

Thanks for the support everyone!
Chris

csavage [ AT ] Tropist [ DOT ] com

What do you get when you combine a gorilla, a drum set and Phil Collins?

With some inspiration you could end up with one of the most inventive, fun and non-invasive ads that may ever have existed. Cadbury, the UK chocolate company, took it upon themselves to create a ‘commercial’ featuring only those elements for the sole purpose of making you smile. It’s an admirable goal.

The ad can be seen at a Glass and a Half Full Productions, a production company put together by Cadbury for the purpose of spreading joy. The name is a reference to the glass and a half of milk than can be found in each Cadbury’s milk chocolate bar. This appears to be the cohesive theme of their overall campaign.

Watch the High Quality version or check it out on YouTube. If you’re wondering about how this amazing commercial was conceived you should read the video transcript.

– chris

Stunning Ikea Ad

Looking for some touching advertainment? Time to check out Martin De Thurah’s beautiful ad for Ikea that was recently featured by the good people at Coudal.

Martin de Thurah has done an amazing job of portraying the ideals and mission of Ikea with a broad and powerful stroke. Ikea as a brand brings to mind sleek composite wood furnishings that are applicable to a wide audience of folks.

De Thurah’s commercial reminds us that it doesn’t matter what type of dwelling we live in just as long as it’s a home. It’s nice to have a message with such a broad appeal and in this case it feels genuine.

Watch it now. Need more Martin De Thurah? Check out the rest of his directing portfolio.

– chris

p.s. I’ll be doing my best to post more often than I have been in the last week. Thanks for all the comments and emails!

Portfolio: Filippa Smedhagend Sund’s Innovative Style

Wow. The portfolio for make-up artist Filippa Smedhagend Sund features one of the most innovative and stunning interfaces I’ve ever seen. Filippa’s work is showcased in unbelievable gorgeous photos and an incredibly unique interface.

Using Filippa’s portfolio is as simple as grab-and-pull with your mouse. In an instant you’ll see how engaging and effective it is to interact with photos in this way. The website was designed in Flash by Mocoro, a Berlin-based web design shop. Check them out for other innovative designs.

Now go and spend some time with Filippa Smedhagend Sund’s work.

– chris

Facebook Diaries Launches

Buckle yourself in, Facebook has released Facebook Diaries, an “actual reality” show featuring user-submitted video edited by experienced producers. The show clocks in at the traditional 21 minute mark and will be distributed on the web and on Comcast.

Personally, I found the show to be bit boring, a little cheesy and a little heavy handed, but it did feel surprisingly honest. Of course it’s an impressive feat of editing, direction and let’s be honest here, logging.

I’d venture that this is the first time that a show made this way will be hitting the airwaves and for that reason alone you should make note of it.

To check it out on facebook you’ll need a facebook account. You can also see it at ziddio.com, their distribution partner in this one.

– chris

(via NewTeeVee)

Shade Running

 

Here’s a great ad from Nike that has really been resonating with me given the weather in the North East this summer. The ad’s effects were done by Method Studios, a California-based effects house, that also happens to be hiring for all you job hunters out there.

The ad is called Shade Running it is a great example of a simple concept executed very well. You don’t have to be a runner to appreciate a good bit of shade on a hot summers day.

Watch it on YouTube or head to Method Studios official site to see it in higher quality.

– chris

(via CultureBuzz)

Great Northern’s Home

It’s no secret that I’m a fan of innovative music videos. But it’s not everyday that I watch a music video for a band that does it’s job so well that I find myself instantly trying to buy the album. This morning I came across a video for the band Great Northern called Home that did exactly that.

The video features some slick motion graphics and compositing work, layered around the band in a Modest Mouse – Float On style. This style has become a bit commonplace but in this case the synergy of the music and the effects result in a really strong video.

Watch it in low or high resolution. Check out this hype machine playlist for a more Great Northern.

– chris

(via No Fat Clips!)

Advertainment: Toyota’s Trick

 

I really like this little Toyota commercial that’s been making the rounds. It’s a nice play off of a well-worn concept.  Two men need to decide whether or not to pick up an attractive female flagging them for help. It seems like a no-brainer… until they get a closer look.

It turns out Toyota owners are quite intuitive.

Watch it.

– chris

Sehsucht’s Stunning Motion Graphics

Sehsucht a Hamburg-based studio has created one of the elegant and beautiful pieces of motion-graphics I’ve ever seen. Their results features exquisite in-camera effects highlighting a mixture of ink and water, paced to classical music.

This ad will raise your heart-rate and have you ready to jam on classical music for the rest of the afternoon. Sehsucht mixed in-camera effects and cg in a way that will leave your head spinning.

You can watch it small on their official site or download the high resolution version (highly recommended!).

– chris

(via Motionographer)